Stands up for Free Speech rights, against Political Correctness

Southeast Texas conservative Rep. Ted Poe, lauded controversial libertarian-leaning Dutch Member of Parliament on the floor of the US House on Thursday. Wilders has been under assault in his home country for criticizing Islamic extremism and increasing violence against Dutch citizens by Muslim youth.

New polling data shows Wilders now ahead of all potential rivals for Dutch Prime Minister. His Dutch Freedom Party stands to gain the most seats in Parliament for the June elections. The PVV recently won a majority of counsel seats in Alsmere, and the second largest amount of seats in The Hague.

Wilders is a friend and ally of U.S. libertarian/Ayn Randist Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs.

The pro-defense libertarian blog Gates of Vienna has the transcript:

Geert Wilders Is Prosecuted
And Persecuted for Free Speech
Hon. Ted Poe of Texas
In the House of Representatives

Thursday March 11, 2010

Mr. Speaker, freedom of speech continues to be shouted down by the politically correct police. In the Netherlands, it is against the law to say something that offends someone else’s religion. That is why Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders is on trial for hurting people’s feelings.

He made a movie about terrorists and radical Islamic clerics encouraging violence in the name hate. Now he is on trial for insulting Islam. He is charged with discrimination and incitement to hatred. Because Dutch law is intolerant of intolerance.

The Dutch courts say even truthful insult speech is a crime. Sounds like the law has become the enemy of free speech and a protector of the radicals.

Known as "Judge Poe," he is a former Air Force Reserves Veteran. He served as a Harris County Judge for a number of years, and was known for his unusual style of sentencing. Poe also was chosen by President Bush to be an official observer of elections in Iraq. He took the seat (Beaumont/Port Arthur/NE Houston) formerly held by Democrat Nick Lampson.